Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-11
WASHINGTON.
A Debate on. Interstate
Commerce.
THE RAILROAD SIDE OF IT.
Bill ApprOpriating $150,000 for
Our Public Building Reported
FavOrably to the Senate.


WASHINGTON, Jan. l0.-The senate
today again took up consideration of
the Inter State Commerce bill and was
addressed by Mr.. Beck in favor of the
adoption of the conference report.
Mr.. Cullom addressed the senate in
favor of the conference report, confin-
ing his remarks principally to the fourth
section as to the long and short haul.
He argued that water and other com.
panies sometimes made it absolutely
necessary to charge more for interme-
date business than for through bust.
uess. All overland lines of railroad
lind their rates very largely controlled
and inf faenced by rates by the way of
the Isthmus of Panama and of Cape
Horn. Needing that competition, and
being willing to accept small profit
when large cannot be had they carry
along the line between two extreme
points the same character of freight
at less than it is carried from
east to west or from west to east to
places. Thus because of
freight going from New
York to San Francisco may pass over
various lines of railroad, making up the
line for perhaps hall. their regu.
lar rates, say from New Yerk to Buffalo.
from Buffalo to Chicago, from Chicago
to Omaha, from Omaha to salt Lake,
and so on to the destination on the
Pacific Court. No profits so small as
to be despised. Business is done at
that rate, rather than not do it at all
Take more marked illustration. The
Southern Pacific road strikes the Allan
tic waters at much less distance than
any of its more northern competitors.
1t has line of easy gradients com para
lively and it completes not only with its
northern rivals, bat more particularlywith
Cape Horn and the Isthmus of Panama
routes, because of its shorter line
and easy gradients. In this
it often takes freight
between the two oceans as low as $40,
while it takes freight half way over for
say $40 u ton, most reasonable rate
for the limited local business of that
country. Nov if it only makes a dollar
net on freight from San Francisco to
New Orleans at $40, it is led to make
that dollar where it can get no more.
But ton of freight going to Ell Paso,
over half the distance, will
pay $50 ton. Now. if freight at $40
to New Orleans pays 81 profit, freight
going less distance to Ell Paso would
pay as much profit as twentyone tons
going through to New Orleans, and the
rates charged to FL Paso are but fair as
shown by the gross earnings and
gross expenses OF the road, leaving but
o very narrow net profit. The shorter
distance is not charged any more be.
cause of less rate for q longer distance.
indeed longer distance helps the rail-
road company to maintain itself, while
without that help perhaps they could
not do shorter business at all. Is this
Congress prepared to say that small
shall be despised; that they
shall not be secured when greater cannot
be bad. Are they prepared to deny to
individual shippers and communities the
benefit of their more favorable locations,
whether made so because of geography
and topography of the country or by ar
ti6cial means.
In reply to questions by Mr.. Aldrich,
Mr.. Harris, of Tennessee, undertook to
explain and defend the fourth section
of the bill. There was, he said, four
distinct and Independents lines of rail-
road between San Francisco and New
York. These became one line by con-
tract and agreement between them. If
they charged Sl00 Car from San Fran
cisco to New York that was the maxi.
mum rate which they could charge from
Ogden or Omaha to New York.
Mr.. Aldrich: They could charge 500
from Ogden or Omaha, or Buffalo.
Mr.. Harris: "There is no reason to
be found in this bill why they may not
charge from any intermediate point J
up to the maximum of the through
charge except that the charge must be
reasonable.
Mr., Stanford argued against the bill.
He said that it tended not only to pre-
vent competition by railroads, but it
exhibited tendency to. foster water
ways, to the prejudice of the railroad
interests. If the object were to en-
nance water lines at the expense OF rail-
roads he did not know how bill could
be framed to secure such an object bet
ter than this bill. Railway business
waslegitimate and there could be nojusti.
ication for depriving the owners of rail-
,oads of the control of their property.
The bill seemed to him clearly in viola.
ion of the rights of property and of the
lights of labor to receive compensation
or services performed. 1t was al
10 discouragement to that class
If investment.
Senator Malone, from the Committee
IN Public buildings to-day reported a
ill to appropriate $50. 900 for public
'uilding at Los Angeles, Gala.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, January l0.-Mr. Hal.
ey, of Idaho, introduced a bill disfran.
hising and denying the right to hold
ublic lands in territory, to persons who
ractice bigamy, polygamy or unholy
Under call of States the following bills |
nd resolutions were introduced and re. |
erred.
By Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, making ten
ears residence of aliens requisite to
By Markham, of California, for the
rejection of the forest lands of the
United States in California.
By Merriman, OF New York, for the
urchase of John Ericson's Destroyer"
nd ten enlarged steel vessels of the
ame type, for defending harbors of the
Tnited States.
By Gifferd, of Arizona. granting right
{ way to the United States Railroad
ompany from a point on the Canadian
oundary to point on the Mexican
oundary.